RECORD: Darwin, C. R. ed. 1838. Mammalia Part 2 No. 1 of The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle. By George R. Waterhouse. Edited and superintended by Charles Darwin. London: Smith Elder and Co. Includes by Darwin: Geographical introduction (pp. i-v) and A notice of their habits and ranges

REVISION HISTORY: Scanned by the University of Wales Library; OCRed by John van Wyhe; proofread and corrected by Sue Asscher 3.2006. RN1

NOTE: See bibliographical introduction by R. B. Freeman. See the overview of illustrations in this work here.

THE object of the present Introduction, is briefly to
describe the
principal localities, from which the Zoological specimens, collected
during the voyage of the Beagle, were obtained. At the conclusion of
this work, after each species has been separately examined and
described, it will be more advantageous to incorporate any general
remarks. The Beagle was employed for nearly five years out of England; of this time a very large proportion was spent in surveying the coasts
of the Southern part of South America, and of the remainder, much was
consumed in making long passages during her circumnavigation of the
globe. Hence nearly the entire collection, especially of the animals
belonging to the higher orders, was procured from this continent; to
which, however, must be added the Galapagos Archipelago, a group of
islands in the Pacific, but not far distant from the American coast.
The localities may be briefly described under the following heads.

BRAZIL. This country presents an enormous area, supporting
the most
luxuriant productions of the intertropical regions. It is composed of
primary formations, and may be considered as being hilly rather than
mountainous. LA PLATA includes the several provinces bordering that
great river; — namely, Buenos Ayres, Banda Oriental, Santa Fé, Entre
Rios, &c. My collections were chiefly made at BUENOS AYRES, at
MONTE VIDEO, the capital of Banda Oriental, and at MALDONADO, a town in
the same province, situated on the northern

shore, near the mouth of the estuary of the Plata. These
countries
consist either of an undulating surface, clothed with turf, or of
perfectly level plains with enormous beds of thistles. Except on the
banks of the rivers, trees nowhere grow; there are, however, thickets
in some of the valleys, in the more hilly parts of Banda Oriental.
During the winter and spring of this hemisphere, a considerable
quantity of rain falls, and the plains of turf are then everywhere
verdant; but in summer the country assumes a brown and parched
appearance.

BAHIA BLANCA forms a large bay, in latitude 39° S. on a
part of the
coast, which falls within the territory of the province of Buenos
Ayres, but which from its physical conditions would more properly be
classed with Patagonia. The tertiary plains of PATAGONIA, extend from
the Strait of Magellan to the Rio Negro, which is commonly assumed as
their Northern boundary. This space of more than seven hundred miles in
length, and in breadth reaching from the Cordillera to the Atlantic
Ocean, is everywhere characterised by the dreary uniformity of its
landscape. Nearly desert plains, composed of a thick bed of shingle,
and often strewed over with sea-shells, (plainly indicating that the
land has been covered within a recent period by the sea,) are but
rarely interrupted by hills of porphyry, and other crystalline rocks.
The plains support scattered tufts of wiry grass, and stunted bushes; whilst in the broad flat-bottomed valleys, dwarf thorn-bearing trees,
barely ornamented with the scantiest foliage, sometimes unite into
thickets; and here the few feathered inhabitants of these sterile
regions resort. There is an extreme scarcity of water; and where it is
found, especially if in lakes, it is generally as salt as brine. The
sky in summer is cloudless, and the heat in consequence, considerable; whereas the frosts of winter are, sometimes, severe. The principal
localities visited by the Beagle, were the RIO NEGRO, in latitude 41°
S., PORT DESIRE, PORT ST. JULIAN, and SANTA CRUZ. At the latter place,
a party, under the command of Captain FitzRoy, followed up the river in
boats, to within a few miles of the Cordillera; and an opportunity was
thus afforded of verifying the nature of the country in its entire
breadth. At the Rio Negro the plains are much more thickly covered with
bushes, (chiefly acacias,) than in any other part of Patagonia.

TIERRA DEL FUEGO may be supposed to include all the broken
land
south of a line joining the opposite mouths of the Strait of Magellan.
The land is moun-

tainous, and may be aptly compared to a lofty chain,
partly
submerged in the sea; —bays and channels occupying the position of
valleys. The Eastern side almost exclusively consists of clay-slate; the Western, of primary, and various plutonic formations. The
mountains, from the water's edge, to within a short distance of the
lower limit of perpetual snow, are everywhere (excepting on the exposed
western shores) concealed by an impervious forest, the trees of which
do not periodically shed their leaves. On the East coast, the outline
of the land shows that tertiary formations, like those of Patagonia,
extend south of the Strait of Magellan; but with the exception of this
part, it is rare to find even a small space of level ground; and where
such occurs, a thick bed of peat invariably covers the surface. The
climate is of that kind which has been denominated insular: the
winters are far from being excessively cold, whilst the summers are
gloomy, boisterous, and seldom cheered by the rays of the sun. In all
seasons, a large quantity of rain falls. Hence, from the physical
conditions of Tierra del Fuego, all the land animals must live either
on the sea beach, (and in this class the Aborigines may be included) or
within the humid and entangled forests.

The FALKLAND ISLANDS are situated in the same latitude as
the
Eastern entrance of the Strait of Magellan, and about 270 miles East of
it. The climate is nearly the same as in Tierra del Fuego, but the
surface of the land, instead of being as there, concealed by one great
forest, does not support a single tree. We see on every side a withered
and coarse herbage, with a few low bushes, which spring from the peaty
soil of an undulating moorland. Scattered hills, and a central range of
quartz rock, protrude through formations of clay-slate and sand-stone
(belonging to the Silurian epoch,) which compose the lower country.

The structure of the west coast of South America, from the
Strait of
Magellan northward to latitude 38°, in its greater part, (as far north
as Chiloe) is very similar to that of Tierra del Fuego. The climate
likewise is similar,—being gloomy, boisterous, and extremely humid; and, consequently, the land is concealed by an almost impenetrable
forest. In the northern part of this region, the temperature of course
is considerably higher than near the Strait of Magellan; but
nevertheless it is much less so, than might have been anticipated from
so

great a change in latitude. Hence, although the vegetation
of this
northern district presents a marked difference when compared with that
of the southern; yet the zoology in many respects has, like the
general aspect of the landscape, a very uniform character. The
specimens were chiefly collected from the PENINSULA OF TRES MONTES, the
CHONOS ARCHIPELAGO (from latitude 46° to 43° 30'), CHILOE with the
adjoining islets, and VALDIVIA. The contrast between the physical
conditions and productions of the East and West coasts of this part of
South America is very remarkable. On one side of the Cordillera, great
heavy clouds are driven along by the western gales in unbroken sheets,
and the indented land is clothed with thick forests; whilst on the
other side of this great range, a bright sky, with a clear and dry
atmosphere, extends over wide and desolate plains.

CHILE in the neighbourhood of CONCEPCION (latitude 36° 42'
S.) may
be called a fertile land; for it is diversified with fine woods,
pasturage, and cultivated fields. But towards the more central
districts (near VALPARAISO and SANTIAGO) although by the aid of
irrigation, the soil in the valleys yields a most abundant return, yet
the appearance of the hills, thinly scattered with various kinds of
bushes and cylindrical Opuntias, bespeaks an arid climate. In winter,
rain is copious, but during a long summer of from six to eight months,
a shower never moistens the parched soil. The country has a very alpine
character, and is traversed by several chains of mountains extending
parallel to the Andes. These ranges include between them level basins,
which appear once to have formed the beds of ancient channels and bays,
such as those now intersecting the land further to the south. North of
the neighbourhood of Valparaiso, the climate rapidly becomes more and
more arid, and the land in proportion desert. Beyond the valley of
COQUIMBO (latitude 30°.) it is scarcely habitable, excepting in the
valleys of Guasco, Copiapó, and Paposa, which owe their entire
fertility to the system of irrigation, invented by the aboriginal
Indians and followed by the Spanish colonists. Northward of these
places, the absolute desert of Atacama forms a complete barrier, and
eastward, the snow-clad chain of the Cordillera separates the
Zoological province of Chile, from that of the wide plains which extend
on the other side of the Andes.

The last district which it is at all necessary for me to
mention
here, is that

of the GALAPAGOS ARCHIPELAGO, situated under the Equator,
and
between five and six hundred miles West of the coast of America. These
islands are entirely volcanic in their composition; and on two of them
the volcanic forces have within late years been seen in activity. There
are five principal islands, and several smaller ones: they cover a
space of 2° 10' in latitude, and 2° 35' in longitude. The climate, for
an equatorial region, is far from being excessively hot: it is
extremely dry; and although the sky is often clouded, rain seldom
falls, excepting during one short season, and then its quantity is
variable. Hence, in the lower part of these islands, even the more
ancient streams of lava (the recent ones still remaining naked and
glossy) are clothed only with thin and nearly leafless bushes. At an
elevation of 1200 feet, and upwards, the land receives the moisture
condensed from the clouds, which are drifted by the trade wind over
this part of the ocean at an inconsiderable height. In consequence of
this, the upper and central part of each island supports a green and
thriving vegetation; but from some cause, not very easily explained,
it is much less frequented, than the lower and rocky districts are, by
the feathered inhabitants of this archipelago.

By a reference to the localities here described, it is
hoped that
the reader will obtain some general idea of the nature of the different
countries inhabited by the several animals, which will be described in
the following sheets.

The vertebrate animals in my collection have been
presented to the
following museums: — the Mammalia and Birds to the Zoological Society; the Fishes to the Cambridge Philosophical Society; and the Reptiles,
when described, will be deposited in the British Museum. For the care
and preservation of all these and other specimens, during the long
interval of time between their arrival in this country and my return, I
am deeply indebted to the kindness of the Rev. Professor Henslow of
Cambridge. With respect to the gentlemen, who have undertaken the
several departments of this publication, I hope they will permit me
here to express the great personal obligation which I feel towards
them, and likewise my admiration at the disinterested zeal which has
induced them thus to bestow their time and talents for the good of
Science.

DESCRIPTION.—The fur of this Bat is glossy and has a
silk-like
appearance; that on the top of the head, sides of the face, and the
whole of the upper parts of the body, is of a deep brown colour; all
the hairs on these parts, however, are white at the base. The flanks,
interfemoral membrane, and the arms, are also covered on their upper
side with brown hairs. On the lower part of the sides of the face, and
the whole of the under parts of the body, the hairs are of an
ashy-white colour. The membrane of the wing is brownish. The ears are
of moderate size, and somewhat pointed; externally they are covered
with minute brown hairs, and internally with white. The tragus is also
covered with white hairs; it is of a narrow form, pointed at the tip,
and has a small acute process in the middle of the outer margin. The
nose-leaf is pierced by the nostrils, which diverge posteriorly, and is
so deeply cleft on its hinder margin, that it may be compared to two
small leaflets joined side by side near their bases. These leaflets,
unlike the nose-leaf of the Phyllostomina, lie horizontally on the nose
to which they are attached throughout, a slight ridge only indicating
their margin. Around the posterior part of the nose-leaf there is a
considerable naked space, in which two small hollows are observable,
situated one on each side, and close to the

nose-leaf; and, at a short distance behind the nose-leaf,
this
naked
membrane is slightly elevated, and forms a transverse fleshy tubercle.

In.

Lines.

In.

Lines.

Length of

head and body . . .

3

3

Length of

tarsus (claw included) . .

0

81/3

interfemoral membrane . .

0

3½

ear . . . . .

0

4

the antibrachium . . .

2

2

tragus . . . . .

0

3

thumb (claw included) . .

0

8

nose-leaf . . . .

0

2¼

tibia . . . . .

0

10

Expanse of

the wings . . . .

12

8

Habitat, Coquimbo, Chile. (May.)

"The Vampire Bat," says Mr. Darwin in his MS. notes upon
the
present species, "is often the cause of much trouble, by biting the
horses on their withers. The injury is generally not so much owing to
the loss of blood, as to the inflammation which the pressure of the
saddle afterwards produces. The whole circumstance has lately been
doubted in England; I was therefore fortunate in being present when
one was actually caught on a horse's back. We were bivouacking late one
evening near Coquimbo, in Chile, when my servant, noticing that one of
the horses was very restive, went to see what was the matter, and
fancying he could distinguish something, suddenly put his hand on the
beast's withers, and secured the Vampire. In the morning, the spot
where the bite had been inflicted was easily distinguished from being
slightly swollen and bloody. The third day afterwards we rode the
horse, without any ill effects.

Before the introduction of the domesticated quadrupeds,
this Vampire
Bat probably preyed on the guanaco, or vicugna, for these, together
with the puma, and man, were the only terrestrial mammalia of large
size, which formerly inhabited the northern part of Chile. This species
must be unknown, or very uncommon in Central Chile, since Molina, who
lived in that part, says (Compendio de la Historia del Reyno de Chile,
vol. i. p. 301,) "that no blood-sucking species is found in this
province."

It is interesting to find that the structure of this
animal is in
perfect accordance with the habits as above detailed by Mr. Darwin.
Among other points, the total absence of true molars, and consequent
want of the power of masticating food, is the most remarkable. On the
other hand we find the canines and incisors perfectly fitted for
inflicting a wound such as described, while the small size of the
interfemoral membrane (giving freedom to the motions of the legs,)
together with the unusually large size of the thumb and claw, would
enable this Bat, as I should imagine, to fix itself with great security
to the body of the horse.

I have named this species after M. d'Orbigny, who has
added so much
to

our information on the zoological productions of South
America. The Edostoma
cinerea* of that author has evidently a close affinity to the
animal here described, and differs chiefly (judging from the drawing
published in his work) in the larger size of the ears, in having the
nose-leaf free, and the surrounding membrane free and elevated.

As M. d'Orbigny has not yet published the character of his
genus Edostoma,
his figure is my only guide, and in this figure I find the
dentition agreeing both with that of the present species, and that of
the genus Desmodus of Prince Maximilian,—as would appear
from
the published descriptions, and figure given by M. de
Blainville†.—The points of distinction between M. d'Orbigny's animal
and the species here described, are not, in my opinion, of sufficient
importance to constitute generic characters, I have, therefore,
retained the name of Desmodus.

It is desireable perhaps to separate the Blood-sucking
Bats from the
Insectivorous species, and place them between the latter group and the Pteropina,
(with which they agree in the large size of the thumb and the
rudimentary interfemoral membrane,) under a sectional name, which I
propose to call Hæmatophilini.

DESCRIPTION.—This Phyllostoma agrees with the species
described by
Mr. J. Gray‡ under the name of Childreni, in having on the lower lip "an half ovate group of crowded warts," but is of a much smaller size,
and differs also in colour.

The number of teeth are as follows: —incisors 4/4; canines
2/2; molars 5-5/5-5 = 32. The intermediate pair of incisors of the upper jaw
are large,
compressed, and have their apices rounded; the lateral pair are so
minute, that they are scarcely visible without the assistance of a lens: the four incisors of the

lower jaw, are somewhat crowded, the intermediate pair are
slightly
larger than the lateral; they are all deeply notched, and broad at the
apex. The cerebral portion of the skull is much arched and the anterior
portion is depressed. The zygomatic arch is imperfect; see Pl. 35.
figs. 2. The nose-leaf is lanceolate, and of moderate size: the ears
are also of moderate size; they are rounded at the tip and emarginated
on their exterior edge: the tragus is elongated, and suddenly
attenuated towards the apex; the outer margin is deeply notched
towards the base, and very obscurely crenulated above this notch. The
interfemoral membrane is of moderate extent, and emarginated
posteriorly. The tail, which is very slender, is entirely enclosed by
the interfemoral membrane, and the visible portion appears to consist
of but two joints, which together, measure about two and a half lines
in length. The basal half of the thumb is enclosed in membrane. The fur
is soft and rather long. The general tint of the upper and under parts
of the body is brownish-ash; the hairs on the neck and on the whole of
the back are grey at the base, then white, or nearly so, brownish-ash
near the tip, and whitish at the tip. On the belly the hairs are nearly
of an uniform brown-ash colour, their apices only being whitish. The
ears, nose-leaf, and membrane of the wings, are of a sooty-black hue.

In.

Lines.

In.

Lines.

Length of

head and body . . .

2

0

Length of

ear . . . . .

0

7

antibrachium . . . .

1

41/3

nose-leaf . . . .

0

3½

thumb (claw included) . .

0

5½

Expanse of

the wings . . . .

10

0

tibia . . . . .

0

7

Habitat, Pernambuco, Brazil. (August.)

"This species appeared to be common at Pernambuco (five
degrees
north of Bahia). Upon entering an old lime-kiln in the middle of the
day, I disturbed a considerable number of them: they did not seem to
be much incommoded by the light, and their habitation was much less
dark than that usually frequented as a sleeping place by these
animals." D.

I have named this species after Mr. John Gray, the author
of several
extensive memoirs on the order to which it belongs, and to whom I am
indebted for valuable assistance whilst comparing this and other
species with those contained in the collection of the British Museum.

2. PHYLLOSTOMA PERSPICILLATUM.

I find in Mr. Darwin's collection, a
bat agreeing with the description of M.

Geoffroy Saint Hilaire,* under the above name, with the
exception of
a slight difference in the dimensions; I will, therefore, add those of
the present specimen, which is a female. It may be observed, that in
the animal before me, the tragus of the ear is pointed, and not bifid
at the apex, as represented in plate xi of the work quoted.

In.

Lines.

In.

Lines.

Length of

head and body . . .

4

0

Length of

tragus . . . . .

0

3

antibrachium . . .

2

7

tibia . . . . .

1

0

nose-leaf . . . .

0

5

Expansion of

the wings . . .

16

8

ear . . . . .

0

8½

"This bat was caught at Bahia, (latitude 13° S.) on the
coast of
Brazil, in consequence of its having flown into a room where there was
a light. I scarcely ever saw an animal so tenacious of life." D.

DESCRIPTION.—In size and colouring, this Bat very closely
resembles
the Vespertilio Pipistrellus of Europe; the wings, however,
are considerably broader in proportion; the antibrachium, tibia, and
tail, are each of them longer; the tragus of the ear is also longer,
and narrower.

The muzzle is short and obtuse, and furnished on each side
with
numerous hairs, which, when compared with those of other parts, are of
a more harsh nature. The nose is naked at the apex. The forehead is
concave. The ears are narrow, and somewhat pointed, emarginated
externally, and have about four transverse rugæ: the tragus is
elongated, narrow, and pointed, and has the outer margin very obscurely
crenulated. On the chin there is a small wart, from which spring
several stiffish hairs. The tail is about equal to the body in length,
and has the extreme tip free. The fur is moderately

long, and of an uniform rich brown colour, and extends on
to the
base of the interfemoral membrane above and below; the remainder of
this membrane is bare, and, together with that of the wings, of a black
colour.

In.

Lines.

In.

Lines.

Length of

the head and body . .

1

8

Length of

the tragus . . . .

0

31/3

the tail . . . .

1

3½

the antibrachium . . .

1

5½

Expanse of

the wings . . . .

8

3

the thumb (claw included) .

0

2½

Length of

the ear . . . . .

0

5½

the tibia . . . .

0

6¾

Habitat, Chiloe. (January.)

"This specimen was given me by Lieut. Sulivan, who
obtained it
amongst the islets on the Eastern side of Chiloe. It is not, I believe,
common, nor do the humid and impervious forests of that island appear a
congenial habitation for members of this family. It must, however, be
observed, that even in Tierra del Fuego, where the climate is still
less hospitable, and where the number of insects is surprisingly small,
I saw one of these animals on the wing." D.

OF this species I find three specimens in Mr. Darwin's
collection —
"It is remarkable," says Mr. Darwin, "for its wide geographical
range. I obtained specimens at Maldonado, on the northern bank of the
Plata, where it was exceedingly numerous in the attics of old houses,
and likewise at Valparaiso in Chile. Molina (vol. i. p. 301.) says
another species is found in Chile, of the same size and figure, but of
a more orange (naranjado) colour."

Upon comparing the dimensions of several specimens of this
species
with those given by Temminck in his "Monographie sur le Genre
Molosse," I find that they vary very considerably; I shall therefore
be adding some little to the history of the species, by giving the
dimensions of those now before me, together with the sexes of the
specimens measured, and their localities. In all these specimens there
is a series of pointed tubercles along the upper margin of the ears, a
character which M. Temminck has omitted to notice. They vary slightly

in the intensity of their colouring, but among those
brought from
Chile I do not perceive any agreeing with that species, or variety,
mentioned by Molina as approaching to an orange colour. All the
specimens whose dimensions are here given, are preserved in spirit. Two
of them are from Maldonado brought by Mr. Darwin; three were collected
in Hayti by Mr. J. Hearne, and one is from Chile, whence it was brought
by Mr. H. Cuming.

From Chile.

Hayti.

Hayti.

Hayti.

Maldonado.

Maldonado.

♀

♀

♂

♂

♀

♀

In.

Lines.

In.

Lines.

In.

Lines.

In.

Lines.

In.

Lines.

In.

Lines.

Length of head and body . .

2

3

1

11

2

0

2

0½

2

6

2

6

of tail . . . .

1

1½

1

2

1

2

1

1½

1

1

1

2

of free portion of ditto .

0

6½

0

5

0

6½

0

51/3

0

8¾

0

8½

Expanse of wings . . .

10

3

9

3

9

8

9

0

10

6

10

2

Length of antibrachium . .

1

7

1

6

1

6½

1

6

1

8

1

9

of ears . . .

0

5

0

4½

0

4¾

0

4½

0

51/3

0

5½

Width of ditto . . .

0

7

0

6

0

6

0

6

0

7

0

7

Length from nose to eye . .

0

3½

0

3

0

3¾

0

3

0

3½

0

3½

In all the specimens examined by me, there are two
incisors in the
upper jaw, and four in the lower, they would therefore, according to M.
Temminck, be adult.

DESCRIPTION.—This animal is considerably larger than the
common fox,
(Canis Vulpes, Auct.) and stouter in its proportions, and, in
fact, appears to be intermediate between the ordinary foxes and the
wolves. The tail is much

smaller and less bushy than in the former animals. The
contour of
the head is wolf-like; the legs, however, are shorter than in the true
wolves; and the tail is white at the apex, a character common in the
foxes.

The fur of the Antarctic Fox is moderately long, and the
under fur
is not very abundant, especially as compared with that of the C. magellanicus. This under fur is of a pale brown colour; the
apical portion of
each hair is yellowish; the longer hairs are black at the apex, brown
at the base, and annulated with white towards the apex. In many of
these hairs the subapical pale ring is wanting. On the chest and belly
the hairs are of a pale dirty yellow colour, gray-white at the base,
and black at the apex. On the hinder part of the belly the hairs are
almost of an uniform dirty white. The space around the angle of the
mouth, the upper lip, and the whole of the throat, are white. The chin
is brown-white, or brownish. The basal half of the tail is of the same
colour as the body, and the hairs are of the same texture; on the
apical half of the tail they are of a harsher or less woolly nature, of
a black colour at the apex, and brownish at the base; those at the
extreme point are totally white. The legs are almost of an uniform
fulvous colour; the feet are of a somewhat paler hue; the hairs on
the under side of the hinder feet are brownish, and the external and
posterior parts of the tibiæ are suffused with the same tint. The
hairs on the head are grizzled with black and fulvous; the former of
these colours is somewhat conspicuous, excepting in the region of the
eyes, where the fulvous or yellowish tint prevails. The muzzle is
scarcely of so dark a hue as the crown of the head. The ears are
furnished internally with long white hairs, externally the hairs are
yellowish, with their apices black; the latter colour is more
conspicuous towards the tip of the ear. The sides of the neck near the
ear are of a rich fulvous hue.

In.

Lines.

In.

Lines.

Length

from nose to root of tail . .

36

0

Length of ear . . . . .

2

9

from tip of nose to ear . .

7

3

Height of body at shoulders . .

15

0

of tail (hair included) . .

13

0

Habitat, Falkland Islands.

"Three specimens of this animal were brought to England
by Capt.
FitzRoy; from one of which, the above drawing and description has been
made. The earliest notice I can find of this animal is by Pernety,*
during Bougainville's voyage, which was undertaken in 1764, for the
purpose of colonizing these islands. The strange familiarity of its
manner seems to have excited the fears of some of

PUBLISHED WITH THE APPROVAL OF
THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS OF HER MAJESTY'S TREASURY.

————

Edited and Superintended by
CHARLES DARWIN, ESQ., M.A., F.G.S.
NATURALIST TO THE EXPEDITION.

IN order to secure to science the full advantage of the
discoveries
in
Natural History, during the Voyage of the Beagle, the Lords
Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury have been pleased to make a
liberal grant of money towards defrayiug part of the expenses of this
publication. This work, in consequence, has been undertaken on a scale
worthy of the high patronage it has thus received, and will be offered
to the public at a much lower price than otherwise would have been
possible.

Figures will be given of many species of animals hitherto
unknown or
but imperfectly described, together with an account of their habits,
ranges, and places of habitation.

The collections were chiefly made in the provinces
bordering on the
Rio
Plata, in Patagonia, the Falkland Islands, Tierra del Fuego, Chile, and
the Galapagos Archipelago in the Pacific.

The following gentlemen, with a disinterested zeal for
science, have
undertaken different departments of the work; in those branches with
which they are respectively best acquainted. Mr. OWEN will describe the
Fossil Mammalia; Mr. WATERHOUSE the Recent Mammalia; Mr. GOULD
the Birds; Mr. BELL the Reptiles; and the Rev. L.
JENYNS the Fish.

A description of some of the invertebrate animals procured
during
the
voyage will also be given. At the conclusion of the work Mr. DARWIN
will incorporate the materials which have been collected, in a general
sketch of the Zoology of the southern part of South America.

CONDITIONS OF PUBLICATION.

It is impossible, in the present stage of the undertaking,
to define
precisely its limits, or the exact order in which the several subjects
will be published; but it is estimated that the work will extend to Twenty Numbers, one of which will be published on the first
day of
every alternate month; and the whole, when completed, will comprise
about six hundred pages of letter-press, and from two hundred to two
hundred and fifty Engravings, in Royal 4to.

The price of each Number may vary according to the
quantity of
Plates
and letter-press it may contain, depending upon the subject of which it
particularly treats; but it is estimated that the average price will
not exceed Ten Shillings.

————————————

THE FIRST NUMBER IS NOW PUBLISHED, PRICE 8s.

CONTAINING

FOSSIL MAMMALIA,

BY RICHARD OWEN, ESQ., F.R.S.
HUNTERIAN PROFESSOR IN THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS :

WITH A NOTICE OF THEIR GEOLOGICAL POSITION,
BY CHARLES DARWIN, ESQ., M.A., F.G.S., ETC.

Just completed, in demy 12mo.
price 6s.

THE PRISONERS OF ABD-EL-KADER;

OR,

FIVE MONTHS' CAPTIVITY AMONG THE ARABS,

IN THE AUTUMN OF 1836.

BY MONS. A. DE FRANCE.

TRANSLATED BY R.F. PORTER.

In the press, demy 8vo. with
Plates.

A PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF

THE SIEGES OF BILBOA,

IN THE YEARS 1835 AND 1836;

and of the other principal events which
occurred in
that City
from 1832 to 1837.

Preceded by an Introduction describing the state of
Parties in Spain
prior to the Civil War, and giving some Account of the Basque
Provinces, their privileges, &c.

Comprising an Authentic Narrative of the
Travels and
Discoveries of the
Expedition; an Account of the Manners and Customs of the Native Tribes; and of the Natural Productions, Aspect,
and Physical Capabilities of the Country.

Illustrated by a Map and Numerous
Plates of
African Scenery, and of the
Dresses, Weapons, Dances, &c. of the Natives.

BY ANDREW SMITH, M.D.
SURGEON TO THE FORCES, AND DIRECTOR OF THE EXPEDITION.

————————————

BY THE SAME AUTHOR,

TO BE PUBLISHED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF
THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS OF HER MAJESTY'S TREASURY.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF
THE ZOOLOGY OF SOUTH AFRICA :

Comprising figures of all the new species
of
Quadrupeds, Birds,
Reptiles, and Fishes, obtained during the recent
expedition, with Letter Press descriptions, and a Summary of African
Zoology.

The whole of the Plates will be engraved in
the
highest style of Art,
from the Original Drawings taken expressly for
this work, and beautifully coloured after Nature.

To be issued in Parts, Royal 4to.
size; price 10s. each, the first
Part, it is expected, will be ready for publication in March next.

THE object of this undertaking is to supply what has long
been felt
to
be a desideratum; namely, graphic Illustrations of the Scenery,
Antiquities, Architecture, Manners, Costumes, &c., of the East,
which, as the
theatre of so many brilliant military achievements, and such extensive
commercial enterprize, is daily increasing in interest with the British
Public.

The Drawings for the Work will be made by the first
Artists in the
kingdom, from Sketches taken on the spot, and the Plates will be
executed in the novel and very beautiful style of Tinted
Lithography,
which is peculiarly adapted to the character of the Scenery, and the
best calculated to afford a faithful representation of the original
drawing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Work will be published in Imperial
Folio, the
Engravings being an
uniform size of 15 by 10 inches.

EACH NUMBER WILL CONTAIN FIVE PLATES,

WITH DESCRIPTIVE LETTER PRESS;

PRICE ONE GUINEA, IN A NEAT PORTFOLIO.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is intended to Publish the First Number on the 1st of
March,
1838,
and to continue the Work Quarterly; but owing to the very elaborate
finish of the Drawings, the Proprietors cannot pledge themselves to its
regular appearance.